The Khan's Proposal (Flavia)
by nightingaleofshadow
Summary: With the war over, and Grima put to rest, Seris spends some time in Regna Ferox. How could this possibly turn out, especially when the Khan seems to have her eyes on him?
1. Blood in the Snow

"Hah!"

With a sickening crunch, Seris felt a fist slam full into his face, sending him sprawling to the ground. His sparring partner, Raimi, had never pulled her punches against him, but this time, her strike had been with all her might. The knight had never liked the tactician, ever since he orchestrated her defeat almost three years prior, and took out her dislike whenever they were paired up for sparring sessions. Looking at her fallen opponent, the tall knight shook her head in disgust and walked away.

Rolling onto one knee, Seris spat out a large globule of blood, and was about to charge the woman from behind when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw the tall form of the Khan of Regna Ferox, Flavia, her dark skin standing out in the light flurry of snow.

"I think it's time I sat you two idiots down for a talk. Is your nose broken? All your teeth still attached to your head?" Flavia's voice had a strangely worried tone, almost like a concerned elder sister. She had taken a liking to Seris, and he had a feeling that the only reason Raimi actually stopped attacking was because she had orders not to permanently injure the young man.

He was not a poor fighter. On the contrary, the long campaigns against Valm and Plegia, combined with constant, brutal training under the watchful eyes of Frederick, had hardened his body. While in terms of height and stature, he would probably never rival the likes of Basilio or Vaike, he could still fight on par with the both of them. Especially since he had moved to Regna Ferox at Flavia's insistence, shortly following the war's end.

He still felt uncomfortable, having stood by and allowed Chrom to put the Fell Dragon, Grima, back to sleep, rather than sacrifice himself and destroy the fiend forever. He suspected that his decision would bother him for many years to come.

Shaking himself back to reality, Seris slowly got to his feet, and discovered to his dismay that his back left molar had come loose. No doubt due to Raimi's tender care. Shaking the snow off his tunic, the tactician ran a hand along the rest of his almond-shaped face, checking for any other signs of damage. To his relief, nothing seemed broken, though the area that had been struck would no doubt swell up unless he got some ice on it. There seemed to be an overabundance of that in Regna Ferox these days.

"I'm fine. Thank you, though." The tactician looked at the tall woman standing next to him, slightly intimidated by her mere presence, as usual.

Khan Flavia made many people feel like that. While Basilio was an enormous man, you could tell just by looking at him that he was also nowhere near as harsh as the weather in his home. Flavia was different. She was friendly, yes, but unlike her friend and rival, she didn't wear her emotions on her sleeves (or lack thereof). The tall, dark skinned woman was beautiful, but that beauty was someone tempered by the fact that she was VERY rarely seen without her armor, a trait typical for a Khan.

For some reason, she had taken a liking to Seris, and had requested that he become her tactician after the war. While Seris definitely enjoyed the camaraderie he had found in Ylisstol, and missed the friends he had made, he had left seeking new challenges. Chrom had been unhappy to see his friend leave, but hadn't complained, given that Ylisstol and Regna Ferox were not too far apart from each other.

Flavia hadn't answered him, but was instead staring intently at his jaw. The intensity of her gaze surprised Seris, and he couldn't help but turn away, slightly red. He wasn't used to this kind of attention from the fairer sex, and, for some reason, thinking about the Khan made him flush slightly. He had never had much time to pay attention to the various women he had encountered, prior to awakening in a field, but now his schedule was much more open to possibilities other than simply being the best tactician Ylisse had ever seen.

Looking at the Khan, Seris realized that she wasn't usually present for the randomized sparring matches the Feroxian general was so fond of. She must have been there for a specific reason, and Seris was determined to find out what it was.

"You aren't usually around to see me get tossed in the snow, Khan Flavia. Is there something I can help you with?" He asked, a little warily, before grabbing a small handful of snow, and stuffing it into his mouth. Waiting until it melted, he swished the water around before spitting out the frothy pink liquid.

"Yes, actually. The yearly gathering of Khan's is approaching, and I want you to be my champion, if it's not too much to ask." Flavia seemed to snap out of a reverie, and stood up to her full height. Tall though Seris was, he was still a few inches shorter than the Khan.

Stunned, Seris took a step back. Flavia usually asked Chrom to champion her, and for a good reason. Chrom was slightly shorter than Seris, but more muscular, and a better swordsman, in Seris' eyes. Seris was a competent fighter, but was more suited towards magic than swordsfaire.

"But what about Chrom? You usually ask him to champion you." He managed to stop himself from stammering in shock.

Flavia looked down in irritation.

"The oaf already got to him. And since Lucina disappeared, the only one I can think of that could match him is you."

Sometime after the war, Chrom's daughter from the future had vanished, without a trace. It had worried the Ylissean Exalt and his wife to no end, and had intrigued Seris, who had pondered it for a while. Maybe she had left to find a future in some other corner of the world, now that the threat of Grima was no more. Maybe she returned to her time through the Outrealm Gate, in order to secure peace at last to her war torn home. No one would know, given that she had left without saying farewell to anyone except her infant counterpart.

"Khan Basilio moves fast. But are you sure you want me? I'm sure there are others better suited to the task. Lon'qu, maybe. Or Priam." Seris couldn't help but ask.

"Lon'qu refused to, citing his defeat by Lucina as a disgrace. But I personally think he doesn't want to worry his wife. As for the Radiant Descendant, I couldn't find him. Even so, you were my first choice. Of all the fighter's I have ever seen, you are the only one who could possibly stand a snowballs chance in hell against Chrom."

"I would have your answer, Seris. Will you champion me, or not?" She rode him off as he opened his mouth."

Sighing in defeat, Seris slumped his broad shoulders.

"Yes, Khan Flavia. I will be your champion."


	2. Brothers In Arms

The Khan's Proposal, Part 2: Brothers in Arms

The gates opened, and Seris slowly walked into the arena. Dressed in light armor that allowed for quick movements, but dyed red to represent Flavia, he kept his eyes locked on the opposite end, where Chrom was doing the same, but dyed blue, for Basilio. Having eschewed any type of magic for this fight, Seris had only his long, slim blade strapped to his waist, which he drew. The bright metal of the longsword seemed to glow in the light from the torches lining the arena. As he did so, Chrom mirrored his action, drawing Falchion from it's sheath, and adopting his battle-ready stance. Friendships did not matter when facing each other across the battlefield.  
Throwing his sheath aside, Seris took hold of his blade, and prepared as Chrom charged, the two swords sliding across each other as sparks flew. Chrom's strike jarred Seris' arm, but he held stead, locking his blade with Falchion, and pushing back with all his strength. Months of training had given the tactician a stronger blade arm, and it was showing, as Chrom was forced to give ground under Seris' weapon.

Disengaging, the Exalt of Ylisstol jumped back a few meters, before leaping into the air, and bringing Falchion down heavily upon Seris' head. Or would have, if the young tactician hadn't slipped to the side, and brought his own blade around, colliding with Chrom's side. If they had truly been fighting to kill, the blade would have bisected Chrom. But as it were, the edges of both blades were dulled by magic. Bones would still break if struck hard enough, but there was no cutting.

The battle was to be decided by three touches, and whenever one of the combatants was struck, a magical aura would surround their bodies. One touch would turn the aura green, two strikes would turn it yellow, and the third touch would turn the aura red, upon which the battle would be over, and the victor declared. Upon being hit by his friends blade, Chrom started to glow a bright green, and the large crowd watching the pair duel began to cheer the tactician.

Seris didn't hear any of it, focused as he was on on Chrom. The Exalt was not an idiot, and he was as skilled as they came. While he was usually reckless, this attitude did not extend to the battlefield, but he seemed even more careful than usual. Raising Falchion, Chrom adopted a more defensive stance, rather than the aggressive one he had started with. When he didn't charger, or even approach Seris, the tactician sidled to the side, and cut wide, purposefully leaving his side exposed. It was a tactical risk, and he was rewarded by Chrom instinctively flinching towards the opening, his aggressive nature showing through his defensive tactics.

Seris rapidly swung his blade around, forcing Chrom to bring Falchion up and away, out of his stance. Was it simply the tactician's imagination, or was Chrom slower than usual?

As the two fighters fought viciously, two Khans were meeting, on the podium reserved only for those of their stature.

"Seris seems to be fighting even more fiercely than usual." The large form of Khan Basilio shook as he laughed.

"He keeps downplaying his own skills. I don't think he even realized that he might be stronger than Chrom is right now." The much more feminine form of Khan Flavia was stoic, but she had a smile on her dark face.

The two Khans had been friends for years, but the decision to use the tactician as her champion finally made sense to Basilio. As had her decision to keep him in Regna Ferox, and devote so much of her soldiers time to increasing the young man's already formidable strength. Seris had potential, and by the looks of the fight, there seemed to be no end to how much he could grow. The thought alone was scary, but actually seeing the young man fight was even more so. He fought viciously, but held himself back on purpose. There was none of that restraint here, and his strength was obvious to everyone's eyes, even those who had no notion of it.

However, Basilio had begun to suspect an ulterior motive in Flavia. The way she looked at the tactician was proof enough, but she had made sure that even Raimi, who held a grudge against him, did not cause him any kind of lasting harm. That, plus the worry that grew on her face when Seris was finally struck by Falchion was telling enough. Khan Flavia, who had turned down so many suitors, who had turned down even Basilio himself, seemed to have finally found a man she liked. The only question was, did Seris know? How would he even react to this knowledge?

Basilio chuckled to himself, and turned back to the fight. Things were finally starting to get interesting, as both fighters had struck each other simultaneously, and turned the aura surrounding them both a bright shade of yellow. He loved watching people fight, but there was something beautiful about this duel. Two friends, who had become as close as brothers, who knew each others fighting style inside and out, were finally finding out for themselves who the better fighter truly was.

Basilio almost regretted asking Chrom so early.

Despite his early lead, Seris could feel the odds evening out the longer the fight went on. His aggressive start had startled Chrom, and slightly shaken him, but he had long since recovered, and now a single touch would spell defeat for either of them. Despite the fact that the leader of a nation would be decided by this duel, Chrom was visibly enjoying the battle. Every time they clashed, his grin only seemed to grow. And, despite himself, Seris was also having fun. He hadn't seen Chrom since leaving for Regna Ferox, months ago, and this duel would finally put to rest the long asked question; Who was truly stronger, the Exalt of Ylisse, or the greatest tactician Plegia had ever birthed?

Deflecting a blow from Falchion with his bracer, Seris took advantage of Chrom's wide swing, and drove his boot hard into his friends armored chest, sending him flying backwards. Luckily for Chrom and Basilio, the only touches that set off the magical aura were attacks from a weapon. Charging ahead, Seris swung his blade in a long, savage arc that, if not for the guards on the weapons, and Chrom's reflexes, would have cut the Exalt in half. But as it was, Chrom managed to get Falchion up and around quick enough to block it, even though the force of the blow sent him tumbling to the ground.

Refusing to give up his hard earned return to the lead, Seris drew his blade back, and stabbed viciously at his friend, who rolled to his feet, out of the way of the long sword, coming up in an aggressive stance. He was done playing around, this farce had gone on long enough. His grin was gone, replaced by a grimace of irritation, and even anger. Playing right into Seris' hands.

It was easy enough to simply fight someone. It was even easy to plan out your next move. But it took a considerable amount of skill to play the psychological games Seris was inflicting upon Chrom. He knew that the Exalt hated losing, and would be furious if he lost. Not only that, but he also had Basilio backing him, so if he lost, he not only embarrassed himself, but the Khan as well. Given that Basilio was a very friendly man, there would only be a mild irritation that he couldn't be Khan for another year. Which would probably lead to drinking, but that was neither here nor there.

As far as people went, Chrom was strangely simple, in terms of emotions. It didn't take a lot to make him angry, and Seris knew this very well. He had seen Chrom angry, and had noticed early on that anger unbalanced him, made him slower, almost clumsy. Which was exactly what Seris wanted. Evenly matched though they were, Seris was unwilling to take risks for this fight, with so much riding on his victory. For some reason, he didn't just want to win to secure a more… intelligent Khan for the next year. He wanted to show off his skills for anyone watching, which was unusual for the tactician, who was always so reserved. He wanted to impress the crowd, and more importantly, Flavia. There was no way he could explain why he wanted to impress Flavia so much, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

Taking note of Chrom's white-knuckled grip on Falchion, Seris immediately saw a way to end the fight. Sidestepping a stab for his heart, Seris reversed the grip on his blade, and thrust it through the hole in Falchion's hilt, before savagely yanking, pulling the sword from Chrom's grasp. As he drew his own sword from Falchion, Seris whirled around once, putting all his strength into his swing, and slammed his sword into the flabbergasted Chrom's armor, denting it and sending him sprawling on the ground again.

As the Exalt's armor began to glow a deep crimson, the crown exploded. Both of the combatant's names were being chanted, which confused Seris before he remembered what Flavia had told him.

"This is about as sacred as you're going to get, here in Regna Ferox, so don't disappoint. They don't want death, they don't really care about who wins. What they want is a spectacle. The crowd loves to be loud, so go out there and give them a damn good reason!"

As the crowd continued to cheer, Seris sought the one face that mattered at the moment. Flavia's dark skin was distinct, even in the dim firelight, and the tall Khan was beaming at Seris.


	3. The Khan's Proposal

The Khan's Proposal, Part 3: The Khans Proposal

Standing amisdt the crowd of Feroxian's, Seris couldn't help but feel out of place. They were all wearing some form of decorated armor, and his outfit was anything but. He was wearing a nice, black tunic and trousers, both with purple accents to represent his Plegian heritage. He hadn't been too keen on that part, but Flavia, who had come up with the idea, had insisted, and Seris found it very difficult to refuse her these days.

He also wore a strange cape that went over his left shoulder, covering much of his arm, but leaving the sheath at his waist uncovered. The sleeve on his right arm was removed, and his arm was instead decorated by a bracer that extended from his wrist to his elbow. All in all, while the outfit wasn't uncomfortable, it was odd wearing something he wasn't used to. He already missed his cloak, but Khan Flavia hadn't allowed it, saying he relied on it as a shield too much.

It had been a week since Chrom's stunning defeat in the arena, and both East and West Khan's had decided that this particular battle would be one to celebrate. So, in traditional Feroxi fashion, they had thrown a massive party in which anyone who wanted to attend would be able to. Chrom, Sumia and little Lucina had come, despite Chrom's loss. He was taking it astonishingly well, as was Basilio. It was almost as though he relished being defeated by Seris.

Seris' heart had admittedly skipped a beat when Chrom had come up and hugged him out of nowhere, thanking him for the best fight of his life, and offering him a place within Ylisse as their resident tactician, a position that had been vacant ever since he had left for Regna Ferox. Seris had declined, rather enjoying his life in Regna Ferox. Sure, the training was rather brutal, and the Captain of the guard had a special hatred for him. But otherwise, it was a nice, peaceful place, and he was loath to leave it.

Seris' musings were interrupted by the approach of Khan Flavia, her tall figure cutting through the crowd with ease. She was wearing her usual crimson armor, with a long, flowing cape on her back. It was a sight Seris had seen many times before, but for some reason, the sight of her was more exciting now. Maybe it was the fact that her large gray eyes seemed to be boring into his own as she walked to him.

"May I have a word with you? In private"? Her dark skin seemed to gleam in the moonlight

Finishing the drink in his hand, Seris nodded his assent, and followed her as she left the party grounds.

When they finished walking, they had arrived at a cliff overlooking a small lake, which reflected the full moon beautifully. The Khan stood with her back to him, her figure outlined by the moonlight. She didn't say a word for a long while, so Seris sat, with his long legs dangling over the cliff.

"Do you remember what I asked you, during the war against Valm?"

They had been silent for so long that Seris was almost startled to hear Flavia's dusky voice.

"You mean about becoming the tactician of Ferox?" He asked, looking up at her.

"Yes. I know that Chrom asked you to return to Ylisse, but I didn't hear your answer."  
"I turned him down. There's no way I can go back to Plegia right now, and honestly, I'm enjoying it here more than I did in Ylisse. But I can't accept the position of tactician without insulting Chrom, given that he asked me less than thirty minutes ago."

The tall Khan was silent again, as she considered his words, sitting beside him as she did.

"Then what if I were to offer you a different position? A more… permanent position? A position at my side, as my right hand?"

Seris's heart skipped a beat. Was she actually asking him…

"Khan Flavia? What, exactly, are you asking me?"

She gave him a sideways look, but softened when she saw his small smile.

"You really aren't making this easy, are you?" She gave a rueful grin.

"I have a habit of that. But maybe I can help you get the words out"  
Slowly, the lean tactician leaned in, and softly kissed the dark skinned woman on her lips. Startled, but not unhappy, Flavia's eyes widened for an instant, before she wrapped her arms around the young man, and returned the kiss, happily. Before long, the kiss deepened, and he could feel her tongue dancing with his own.

Pushing the young man to the ground, she sat on his hips and began removing her armor, a pile quickly accumulating next to her, until she was only wearing only her tunic and trousers. As she began to remove those too, Seris saw a muscular body, accentuated by scars. Her dark skin had a very faint sheen of sweat, which mader her seem to glow in the moonlight.

With enthusiasm, she began to remove his clothes as well, gently running a hand along his muscular chest. With a grin, Flavia sat back, licking her lips.

"Well? What's your answer, tactician?"

Instead of answering with words, Seris flipped Flavia over, until he was on his hands and knees above her. Smiling, the tactician planted his lips against hers, savoring the light taste of alchohol on them.

Chrom stared around the dwindling crowd, trying his hardest to find Seris. The party was drawing to a close, and no one had seen the Khan, nor the tactician, in a while. While Chrom had his own suspicions about the two, he still wanted to speak to his friend before departing for Ylisstol. Sumia was on her way back to the carriage, with a sleeping Lucina in her arms, but Chrom had insisted on staying just long enough to say goodbye.

When he finally spotted his friend, he saw, to his amusement, that Flavia wasn't wearing her armor anymore, and that both of their outfits were slightly askew. He also noticed that they were holding hands, and looked slightly sweaty and out of breath. Raising his arm, Chrom shouted to Seris, grabbing his attention, and drawing the pair to him.

"I take it this is your final answer?" The Exalt said, a small smile on his face.

"Yeah. I think I'm going to be stuck in Ferox for a while. I was given an offer I couldn't possibly refuse." The tactician replied, his eyes flickering over to Flavia for an instant.

"I think I can surmise the offer you received." Chrom laughed, before pulling his friend into a hug.

"Good luck, Seris, you're going to need it!"

With that, the Exalt turned and walked to his carriage, joining his wife and infant daughter, leaving Seris and Flavia alone, in the now empty courtyard.

"He took that rather well." Flavia noted, dryly.

"I think he's afraid of you" Seris laughed. "You could probably kill a man with your bare hands. I should probably watch my step."

Looking directly into the tactician's eyes, Flavia said, with a mock seriousness.  
"Then you should know what could happen to you if you make me unhappy"

Returning the stare, Seris took both of Flavia's hands in his own.

"If that's the case, I guess I have quite the job ahead of me" He whispered, as their lips gently joined.


End file.
